title: Association between an inflammatory-nutritional index and nutritional status in cancer patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Cachexia is a multifatorial syndrome characterized by loss of body weight, fat and muscle, increasing morbidity and mortality. The use of an index accounting for both serum albumin and C Reactive Protein levels could make early identification of cachexia easier.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the variation of an inflammatory nutritional index related to nutritional status in cancer patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross sectional study including patients with gastrointestinal and lung cancer of a public chemotherapy service in Brazil. Serum albumin and C Reactive Protein were measured and the nutritional status was defined by Subjective Global Assessment. Statistical analyses were performed using Stata 9.2(TM).
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 74 patients were evaluated, 58.1% of them were male, mean age 63.4 ± 11.9 years old. Gastrointestinal cancer was the most prevalent type (71.6%). Only 13.7% of the patients were well nourished and 21.9% were severely malnourished. C Reactive Protein significantly increased according to nutritional status decline (p=0.03). When the albumin from patients with systemic inflammation was evaluated, there was no significant variation in relation to nutritional status (p=0.06). The Inflammatory Nutritional Index significantly varied in relation to nutritional status independent of the systemic inflammation (p=0.02).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Inflammatory Nutritional Index can be an adjuvant way for biochemical nutritional assessment and follow up in cancer patients with systemic inflammation.
authors.affiliation: Post-graduation Program on Health and Behaviour, Catholic University of Pelotas, RS, Brazil. pastorecarla@yahoo.com.br
authors.forename: Carla
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Alberici Pastore
authors.forename: Silvana
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Paiva Orlandi
authors.forename: María Cristina
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: González
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000032:analysis; D002100:Cachexia / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000503:physiopathology*; D015596:Nutrition Assessment; D009752:Nutritional Status / Q000502:physiology*; D011379:Prognosis; D012709:Serum Albumin / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D012709:Serum Albumin; D002097:C-Reactive Protein